Jacoby Ellsbury got the first of his three singles in the first and promptly stole second (#68). He took third on a force play and scored on Kevin Youkilis's sac fly to right.

In the third, Victor Martinez doubled with one out. Yook singled him to third and David Ortiz's single brought him home. Jason Bay's single scored Yook.

After Lester left, Daniel Bard loaded the bases on a double and a HBP, but got a 6-4-3 double play to wiggle out of trouble. Billy Wagner needed only eight pitches (all strikes) in the eighth (F7, K, 6-3) and Jonathan Papelbon got a OTT ninth on 11 pitches (K, K, 5-3).

Carrasco, a 22-year-old righty, made his major league debut on September 1. This will be his fifth start. In 19 innings, he has allowed 31 hits and 10 walks -- that's a 2.158 WHIP -- while striking out 10.

Lester is back on the hill after taking a line drive off the side of his right knee against the Yankees last Friday. However, he wasn't pitching well that night before his early exit; this will be a tune-up before his ALDS start.

Victor Martinez, who was in the Cleveland organization for 13 years, is excited to face his former team. In 52 games since the trade, Martinez has hit .332. He has also hit safely in 27 of his past 28 games, batting .350 (36-for-103).

116 comments:

I'm excited to be going to this game. It's my first Sox game in 10 years! Although the game is meaningless, I'm hoping I see players other than Kotchman and Gaithwright (not that there's anything wrong with them).

Extra Bases:[Don Orsillo] will call a yet-to-be-announced League Division Series for TBS, joined by former ML catcher Buck Martinez. ... It is uncertain who will call the Red Sox-Angels series, but the candidates are -- Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, Orsillo and Martinez, Milwaukee Brewers play-by-play man Brian Anderson and Joe Simpson or Chip Caray and Ron Darling.

OK, Nick, I would take your Nana, shoulder surgery and all, over some of our recent pitching performances. Sigh. I have no concerns about our bats, but the pitching is giving me pause. Let's hope those Angels pull their usual post-season collapse.

Yeah I would've went with plasma but I read they're bad if you have a lot of light in the room. Since we have 10 foot windows, I decided to go the LCD route. I was at a place with a 42 or 46" panasonic plasma last summer, Steph's friend's place. Also watched ALDS 2 there last year, I love that TV too!

Sweet Caroline, Dropkick Murphys, and Dirty Water - what a great game! If the Sox look like this in the ALDS, then hello Yankees. Of course, they need to work on getting rid of all the LOB, but Drew for Gaithright will help that cause.

IMAC - Nice job by Lester. Glad to see ONE person seems to be in true peak form at the right time. Hopefully the rest will fall in line behind him.Cool that WCS was able to thread from the game. Son Taylor was at Candlestick Tuesday and sent about a pic per half inning from his phone. It's a beautiful park. I'm really missing threading during games lately, but the things that have been peventing that have been good things as well.Thinking about the various things on my plate this weekend, it will undoubtedly be playoffs before I actually get to participate in a game.Looking forward to it.